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When considering the creation of a Shopify website, one of the first questions that comes to mind for businesses, entrepreneurs, and even curious individuals is: “How much does it cost to build a Shopify website?” The answer isn’t as straightforward as a fixed number. It depends on various factors, including who you hire, your project’s complexity, the features needed, and whether you choose a DIY or professional development route. In this first part, we’ll break down the foundational cost structure of building a Shopify website and the range of options available.
Before jumping into costs, it’s essential to understand what Shopify offers. Shopify is a cloud-based, hosted eCommerce platform that provides everything you need to start, run, and grow an online store. It includes web hosting, security, shopping cart integration, themes, payment processing, and third-party app support.
There are three main ways you can build a Shopify website:
Each of these options comes with its own cost implications.
Shopify’s base pricing consists of monthly fees for different subscription tiers. These are important to consider because they are recurring costs that are separate from website development charges.
As of now, Shopify offers the following standard plans:
| Plan Type | Monthly Cost | Best For |
| Basic Shopify | $39/month | Small businesses just starting |
| Shopify | $105/month | Growing businesses |
| Advanced Shopify | $399/month | Scaling businesses |
| Shopify Plus | From $2,000/month | Enterprises with high-volume sales |
These prices cover hosting, security, support, and Shopify’s admin interface — but not the design and development of your custom website.
When building a site on Shopify, a major factor affecting cost is the theme you choose. Shopify offers both free and premium themes.
A developer or designer may also customize a theme for an added cost, which is discussed in later parts of this article.
Most Shopify websites rely on apps from the Shopify App Store to extend functionality. These could be free or paid and often come with monthly subscription fees.
Some popular app types and costs include:
If your website needs 5–10 apps, it can easily add $100–$300/month in ongoing costs.
A custom domain (e.g., www.yourstore.com) is not included in Shopify’s base plans. You’ll need to purchase one separately unless you already own a domain.
This is a small but necessary cost, and a professional developer will typically handle domain setup as part of their service.
For entrepreneurs who want to do it themselves, here’s an example of a minimal setup budget:
| Item | Cost |
| Shopify Basic Plan | $39/month |
| Paid Theme (optional) | $200 (one-time) |
| Apps (3-5) | $60–$150/month |
| Domain | $15/year |
So even without hiring a developer, you may still spend around $100–$300/month to run a basic Shopify store.
However, this option assumes you have the skills to configure themes, apps, content, and basic SEO on your own.
Now, let’s begin exploring the professional side. Hiring a developer means you’ll be paying a one-time or phased cost to set up the website based on your exact requirements. There are different kinds of professionals you can hire:
When someone charges you $2,000 or $10,000 to build your Shopify website, what exactly are you paying for? Here’s a rough breakdown of common services included:
Additional services like copywriting, brand photography, advanced SEO, and conversion optimization often come as add-ons or are bundled into higher-tier packages.
Developers might price their work in two different ways:
Fixed packages are often preferred because they offer predictability in budgeting. Hourly billing is more flexible but riskier for clients who don’t tightly define project scopes.
Part 2: How Much Do Freelancers Charge to Build a Shopify Website?
Freelancers are a popular option for building Shopify websites, especially for startups, small businesses, or even medium-sized brands that don’t have large budgets. The freelancer route can offer cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and fast turnaround—but prices vary dramatically. In this part, we’ll dive deep into how freelancers charge for Shopify development, what influences their rates, and how to work with them effectively.
Before looking at costs, let’s quickly compare freelancers vs. agencies.
| Factor | Freelancers | Agencies |
| Pricing | Lower (more budget-friendly) | Higher (often premium-tier) |
| Flexibility | High (one-on-one working model) | Medium (process-oriented) |
| Speed | Fast (less bureaucracy) | Slower (due to workflow hierarchy) |
| Risk Factor | Medium to High | Low to Medium |
| Expertise Range | Specialized in 1-2 areas | Multi-disciplinary teams |
Freelancers are ideal for businesses that:
Most Shopify freelancers price their work either hourly or by fixed packages. Rates depend on experience, location, and project complexity.
| Region | Beginner ($/hr) | Intermediate ($/hr) | Expert ($/hr) |
| India/Philippines | $10–$25 | $25–$40 | $40–$60 |
| Eastern Europe | $15–$30 | $30–$50 | $50–$80 |
| North America | $30–$50 | $50–$100 | $100–$150 |
| Western Europe | $25–$40 | $40–$80 | $80–$120 |
| Project Scope | Estimated Cost |
| Basic 5-page Shopify site | $500 – $1,500 |
| Medium site with 10–20 products | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Custom theme, UX/UI, 30+ products | $3,000 – $5,000 |
| Multilingual or custom apps build | $5,000 – $10,000+ |
The fixed-price approach is common for freelancers who specialize in Shopify projects and have well-defined packages.
Several factors determine how much a freelancer will charge to build your Shopify site:
Senior-level developers or those with a strong portfolio will command higher fees. A freelancer who is Shopify-certified or has handled multiple Shopify Plus builds will naturally cost more than someone new.
A one-product store using a default theme is cheaper than a 100-SKU website requiring custom development, payment integrations, subscription models, and SEO optimization.
Urgent projects often incur a 25–50% rush charge. A freelancer booked for two months might prioritize you if the rate compensates for rescheduling.
Freelancers who offer regular video calls, wireframes, project updates in tools like Trello or Notion, and live previews may charge more but offer smoother execution.
Here’s what most Shopify freelancers include in their basic to premium packages:
| Service | Included in Basic | Included in Premium |
| Shopify Setup (Plan, Domain) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Theme Installation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Theme Customization | ❌ or Basic | ✅ |
| Product Upload (10–50 SKUs) | ✅ | ✅ |
| App Integration (2–5 apps) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Basic SEO Setup | ❌ | ✅ |
| Blog Setup | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom Design/UI | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mobile Responsiveness | Basic | Advanced |
| Training (admin panel tutorial) | ✅ | ✅ |
| 30-day Support | Optional | ✅ |
Always confirm the scope in writing—whether via an agreement or milestone roadmap—before proceeding.
Several trusted platforms allow you to find vetted Shopify freelancers:
Let’s look at a few example scenarios to give you clarity on what freelancers actually charge:
Choosing the right freelancer requires more than just price comparison. Here’s a checklist:
A good freelancer can turn a $2,000 budget into a high-converting storefront—if chosen wisely.
While freelancers and DIY setups work for many, Shopify agencies offer a different level of service altogether—especially for businesses with high-growth goals, larger catalogs, or complex back-end requirements. Agencies combine expertise across design, development, marketing, SEO, and CRO (conversion rate optimization) into one complete package. But that comes with a higher price tag. In this part, we’ll dive deep into how Shopify agencies charge, what they offer, and when it makes sense to choose them.
A Shopify agency is a professional service company specializing in building and scaling Shopify websites. Unlike individual freelancers, an agency is a team consisting of:
They work collaboratively to deliver a full-stack Shopify solution—from brand identity to final store launch.
There are different types of agencies:
Let’s break down the typical price ranges for hiring a Shopify agency, depending on project scope:
| Type of Project | Estimated Agency Cost |
| Basic Theme Setup | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Semi-Custom Store (small catalog) | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| Fully Custom Design & Functionality | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Advanced Shopify Plus Build | $25,000 – $60,000+ |
These prices usually include discovery, design, development, testing, and launch support. Some agencies offer monthly retainers post-launch for support, marketing, or optimization (ranging from $500 to $5,000/month).
Agencies don’t just charge based on store size—they look at the full scope of services and complexity. Key factors that impact pricing include:
A simple store with 10 products requires far less customization than a marketplace-style store with:
Handling 10 products is different from managing 1,000. Large catalogs require:
Third-party tools like Klaviyo, ShipStation, Recharge, or ERP systems require skilled integration—often billed at higher rates.
Express projects (2–3 weeks) may add a 30–50% premium due to overtime or resource juggling.
Here’s what you typically get when you hire an agency to build your Shopify store:
| Service Area | Included in Basic | Included in Advanced |
| Discovery & Strategy | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shopify Theme Setup | ✅ | ✅ |
| UI/UX Custom Design | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom Shopify Theme Development | ❌ | ✅ |
| SEO Optimization | Basic | Advanced |
| CRO Implementation | ❌ | ✅ |
| App Integration & Setup | ✅ | ✅ |
| Inventory & Product Import | Limited | Extensive |
| Copywriting | Optional | ✅ |
| Post-Launch Support | Optional | ✅ |
| Analytics & Tracking Setup | Basic | Enhanced (GA4, Hotjar) |
Agencies typically use one of the following pricing structures:
Here are real-world inspired packages agencies offer:
| Pros | Cons |
| Access to a full team | More expensive than freelancers |
| Higher quality, scalable outcome | Slower decision cycles |
| Better for large or complex builds | May require long-term contracts |
| Strategic and consultative input | Not suitable for small budgets |
| Dedicated project management | Less personalized than freelancers |
Opting for an agency makes sense in these situations:
Agencies are best for companies who see their online store as a critical business asset, not just a website.
The best place to start is Shopify’s own Experts Marketplace, which filters agencies based on:
Other reputable agency directories:
It’s important to request proposals from multiple agencies, compare deliverables, and review portfolios before committing.
To ensure you’re making the right investment, ask agencies the following:
The answers will give insight into their professionalism, clarity, and reliability.
As businesses scale and look to expand across regions, markets, or complex product verticals, they often transition to Shopify Plus—Shopify’s enterprise solution. Shopify Plus provides enhanced performance, deeper customization, more control, and dedicated support. However, with these advantages come higher costs—not just for the platform itself, but for development, integrations, and ongoing maintenance. In this part, we explore what it takes financially to build and maintain a high-end Shopify Plus store.
Shopify Plus is designed for high-volume brands and large enterprises. It offers significant improvements over standard Shopify plans, including:
Pricing for Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month and increases based on revenue, making it suitable only for businesses doing $1M+ in annual revenue or those scaling aggressively.
Let’s differentiate two major costs:
Enterprise Shopify builds are rarely templated—they’re customized end-to-end, including headless setups or storefront APIs.
A Shopify Plus store build may include:
| Category | Enterprise-Level Tasks |
| Custom Design | Figma wireframes, user flow mapping, A/B testing |
| Theme Development | From scratch using Liquid + advanced JS/CSS |
| Checkout Customization | Shopify Scripts, gift wrap, upsells, bundle logic |
| Integrations | CRM, ERP, OMS, PIM, shipping carriers, CDNs |
| Multilingual/Multi-Currency | Country-specific storefronts with region logic |
| Security & Compliance | PCI-DSS, GDPR, custom firewalls, fraud prevention |
| SEO & Performance | Structured data, international SEO, page speed |
| Mobile Optimization | AMP versions, PWA functionality, mobile-first UX |
| Data Migration | Clean migration from Magento, WooCommerce, etc. |
| Analytics | GA4, Looker Studio, Meta Pixel, custom dashboards |
Every element is built with scalability, automation, and speed in mind.
Here’s a sample cost structure for a Shopify Plus project:
| Task/Service | Cost Range |
| Discovery & Strategy Workshops | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Custom UX/UI Design | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Shopify Theme Development | $10,000 – $30,000 |
| Custom Checkout & Scripts | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| App & API Integrations (ERP, PIM, CRM) | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| SEO & Performance Optimization | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Testing & QA | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Data Migration | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Post-Launch Support (3 months) | $5,000 – $15,000 |
Total Estimated Cost:
$40,000 to $150,000+ for a full Shopify Plus build
Some Shopify Plus businesses choose to go headless, where the front-end is separated from Shopify’s back-end. This setup enables custom frameworks like React, Vue.js, or Next.js using Shopify’s Hydrogen toolkit.
This is a major step and only suits brands with complex user experiences, high traffic, or multiple channels.
High-growth brands need premium apps that aren’t always free. Examples include:
| App Type | Monthly Cost (Typical) |
| Subscription Management | $49 – $299 (Recharge) |
| Search/Filtering Engines | $99 – $400+ (Searchanise) |
| AI Personalization | $100 – $1,000+ (Nosto) |
| Returns/Exchanges Handling | $50 – $500 (Loop Returns) |
| Loyalty & Rewards | $100 – $2,000+ (Yotpo) |
| Advanced Analytics | $200 – $500+ |
In enterprise setups, total app costs may add $500 to $3,000/month or more.
Large businesses usually opt for ongoing retainers after launch to handle performance, updates, and growth strategies.
| Service Type | Monthly Retainer |
| Technical Support | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Performance Monitoring | $500 – $2,000 |
| Conversion Rate Optimization | $1,000 – $5,000 |
| Ongoing SEO | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Feature Development | $2,000 – $10,000+ |
Some agencies offer hybrid retainers where unused hours roll over, and others tie their fees to performance improvements.
By now, we’ve examined the cost of building a Shopify site across freelancers, agencies, and enterprise-level developers. But many new store owners are still surprised by how quickly expenses can add up after launch. In this part, we’ll explore the hidden and ongoing costs, smart ways to manage your budget, global pricing insights, and how to choose the right development route based on your business type and goals.
Many store owners focus only on upfront development costs. But launching a Shopify website involves additional ongoing and occasional expenses, such as:
The cost of Shopify development also varies greatly by location of your developer or agency.
| Region | Average Freelance Cost | Average Agency Cost |
| India / Philippines | $500 – $3,000 | $2,000 – $8,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $1,000 – $5,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Western Europe | $2,000 – $10,000 | $10,000 – $25,000+ |
| North America (USA/Canada) | $3,000 – $8,000+ | $15,000 – $50,000+ |
| Australia / NZ | $2,500 – $6,000+ | $8,000 – $30,000+ |
Why the difference?
You can save significantly by hiring skilled Shopify developers in India or Eastern Europe, especially for small to mid-size stores.
Here are 10 proven strategies to reduce costs without sacrificing quality:
Let’s break down which approach is best depending on your business type, budget, and growth plan:
Best For:
Best For:
Best For:
Best For:
To avoid bad experiences and wasted money, watch out for these red flags:
Choose developers and partners who communicate well, set realistic expectations, and provide structure.
Building a Shopify website is not just a one-time task—it’s a strategic investment that shapes your brand, customer experience, and revenue potential. As we’ve explored in detail across all five parts of this guide, the cost to build a Shopify site can vary significantly, from as little as $200 to well over $150,000, depending on your needs, scale, and who you hire.
| Approach | Cost Range | Ideal For |
| DIY Setup | $200 – $1,000 | Solopreneurs, small startups |
| Freelancer | $1,000 – $5,000 | Small to mid-sized businesses |
| Agency | $5,000 – $25,000 | Growing brands with scalable goals |
| Shopify Plus | $30,000 – $150,000+ | Large enterprises, global stores |
While price is important, what truly matters is value:
The cost isn’t just for aesthetics or functionality—it’s for setting up a business engine that runs 24/7.
If you’re planning to launch or revamp your Shopify store, here’s a checklist to get started:
Whether you spend $500 or $50,000, the most important thing is that your Shopify website aligns with your business goals. It should represent your brand authentically, work flawlessly across devices, and convert visitors into loyal customers. With the right investment, a Shopify store can do exactly that—and much more.
If you need help building your store or evaluating quotes from developers or agencies, feel free to ask for templates, checklists, or audits—I’m here to help.